Bhargavastra
Why in News?
On 24 July 2026, Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd (SDAL) demonstrated Bhargavastra to the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force in Nagpur during a Make‑II programme status review.
Weapon Type & Purpose
- Hard-Kill System: Unlike traditional systems that only jam signals, Bhargavastra physically destroys targets like weaponised drones, loitering munitions, and coordinated autonomous drone swarms.
- Dual-Layer Kill Mechanism:
- First Layer: Fires unguided micro-rockets that clear areas with a wide lethal radius of 20 metres.
- Second Layer: Deploys precision-guided micro-missiles to single out specific high-threat drones.
- Mass Interception: It features a rapid "salvo mode" capable of launching up to 64 micro-missiles within 10 seconds to overwhelm massive drone swarms.
Detection and Tracking Capabilities
- Sensor Integration: Combines radar, Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) cameras, and passive radio-frequency (RF) detectors.
- Target Ranges: The integrated radar tracks medium-to-large Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) up to 10 km and pinpoints small drones up to 6 km away.
- Interception Range: The current configuration effectively destroys hostile targets within a 2.5 km range.
- Reaction Speed: The system takes less than 16 seconds from initial target recognition to complete interception.
Technical Architecture & Terrain Adaptability
- C4I Architecture: Runs on an advanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence network to generate real-time air pictures and auto-assign launcher targets.
- All-Terrain Mobility: Mounted on all-terrain vehicles, it operates seamlessly across plains, deserts, and high-altitude, snow-bound border regions up to 5,000 metres above sea level.
- Cost Efficiency: Using low-cost micro-munitions protects premium, expensive surface-to-air missile stockpiles from being depleted by cheap enemy drones.
- Extended Range: Upgraded variants are already under development to extend the micro-missile interception range to 6 km.
- Sudarshan Chakra Integration: The platform is slated for integration into India's proposed Sudarshan Chakra integrated air defence network by 2030, which plans to push layered ranges up to 25 km.
